


just trying to get it right

by defcontwo



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2013-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-30 00:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1011914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defcontwo/pseuds/defcontwo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"See, you started off saying that as a joke to annoy me and now I think you got so used to it that you're saying it unironically, and it's getting to be a problem." Domesticity, amongst other things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	just trying to get it right

**Author's Note:**

  * For [somehowunbroken](https://archiveofourown.org/users/somehowunbroken/gifts).



> Off the prompt -- Jason and Tim being ridiculously domestic, and another Batfam member being really surprised by it.

The thing about Tim and Jason is that even a year on, Dick is still hard-pressed not to think of their relationship with a twist of worry in his gut. None of them really know the whole story of what happened between them because Tim is pointedly tight-lipped about it, telling Dick in no uncertain terms that the hows and the whys of how they moved past their issues are none of his business. Dick knows that it started at some point in those hazy days when everything went to hell, when Bruce disappeared and Dick was too full in his own head with grief and the weight of his mantle and the uncontrollable son left behind for him to care for to pay much attention to his other brothers. 

He knows that there were days when he would call Tim over and over again and get no answer -- days when he'd see Tim and his eyes would be rimmed with red and there was nothing that Dick could say to bridge the gap between them. And if with Tim, there was a gap -- well, then with Jason, there was a chasm. 

Cass keeps telling him to leave it be. She says that they're good for each other and he supposes if she sees it, it must be true, but Dick -- Dick just doesn't see it. All he sees is how they snipe and bicker and he knows what Tim in love looks like, he saw it with Stephanie, and it was nothing like this. 

Babs says that he's being meddlesome. That his urge to intervene is uncomfortably close to something Bruce would do. 

Well, Bruce agrees with him and maybe that's a bad thing but in this, Dick'll take it. 

Dick stuffs his hands inside his pant pockets and glares at the front door of the loft Tim and Jason share. There's a Wayne family event in the form of a public business meeting and Bruce thought it best if Tim and Dick arrive as a unified front, sending Dick to pick his younger brother up before heading to Wayne Enterprises. 

Dick sighs, steeling himself, before knocking firmly on the door. A minute later, it swings open, a half-dressed Tim on the other side. "Sorry, Dick, I'm still finishing up breakfast." 

Dick shrugs, stepping inside their apartment. "No problem, we've still got half an hour until the meeting starts. They'll expect us to be late anyways. Part of the image and all." 

"The dashing, reckless Wayne boys, here they come with their blah blah hair wearing their blah blah suits, and is it true that they're dating twin supermodels," Tim says, rolling his eyes as he leads Dick into the apartment.

"Yeah, like either of you could attract a supermodel," Jason says, his back to both of them at the stove, the smell of bacon rising up behind him. There's abandoned plates sitting on the counter with the remains of what looks like eggs, scrambled or omelets perhaps, and Dick's stomach grumbles, already regretting the half-hearted bowl of cereal he downed on his way out this morning.

Dick does a double take at the sight of Jason, who is wearing ragged old black jeans hung low that have clearly seen better days, but with a powder blue floral short-sleeved shirt that has to be just about the last thing he'd ever expect to see Jason wearing. 

"Nice threads, Jay," Dick says, before he can stop himself. 

Jason turns around, pointing a spatula at Dick. "Yeah, okay, no fashion criticism from the guy who used to have a mullet. Fuck off, Dickie." 

"He got the shirt for a dollar at a thrift store," Tim explains, a wry twist at the corner of his mouth. "He's very proud." 

"Ninety-nine cents, fuck you very much," Jason corrects, turning back around to move the pan off the burner and place the bacon on a plate. 

"Want some coffee?" Tim offers, motioning with the coffee pot. When Dick shakes his head no, Tim takes a moment to look at the coffee pot and Dick knows from years of experience that Tim is probably contemplating drinking straight from the pot. How the boy hasn't had an ulcer yet, Dick has no idea. 

Jason reaches for a mug from the cabinet by the stove and holds it out in front of Tim. "No." 

"Hey, it would've saved you a dish to wash!" 

"No. Use the mug, you fucking addict." 

Tim makes a sullen, pissy face and pours the dark coffee up to the brim of the mug, leaning back against the counter next to Jason. "I am not an addict." 

"Whatever you say, sweetcheeks," Jason says, taking a bite out of a strip of bacon. 

Tim leans over and pokes Jason in the side. "See, you started off saying that as a joke to annoy me and now I think you got so used to it that you're saying it unironically, and it's getting to be a problem." 

"Does it still annoy you?" 

" _Yes_." 

"Then it's not a problem," Jason says cheerfully, leaning down and taking another bite of bacon right in Tim's face. 

Tim rolls his eyes but takes the rest of the strip of bacon from Jason when it's offered, eating it quickly before washing it down with half his cup of coffee. "Okay, I have to finish getting dressed." 

Tim leans over, rinsing his hands in the sink before heading for the bedroom, leaving Dick and Jason to stare at each other. Dick shifts uncomfortably. He's sure there was a time when he knew how to talk to Jason but that was a long time ago, and now every time they're together, he always finds some way to stick his foot in his mouth and make it worse. 

"So," Dick says, drawing out the word. "Got any plans for the day?" 

"I'm not planning on mass murder, if that's what you're asking," Jason says. He raises both eyebrows, challenging -- it's always challenging with Jason, always poking and prodding just to see how you'd react, just to see what will happen. It's a losing game because no matter what Dick says, it's never the right thing. 

He blows out a breath and doesn't respond. 

"Shit, which tie should I wear?" Tim calls out from the other room. 

"You still wearing the pinstriped grey shirt?" Jason calls back. 

"Yeah?" 

"Go for the red one," Jason replies. Tim makes a noise of assent that neither of them can make out before wandering back into the main room and Dick nearly chokes in surprise because when did his little brother turn into such an _adult_. 

Tim's wearing a deep charcoal grey suit with a lighter grey pinstriped shirt and a dark red tie, the entire outfit making his eyes appear more grey than blue, and with the glasses that he's taken to wearing to Wayne Enterprises meetings, he couldn't look less like the dorky, gangly kid in the Star Trek t-shirts that Dick first met so many years ago. 

Dick's breath catches a little and he's not sure if he should be a little proud or a little sad. Maybe both. He never wanted Tim to grow into something cold, something closed off. 

"Don't even say it," Tim says and Dick startles out of his thoughts only to realize that Tim's not talking to him. 

"Did I say anything? I didn't say anything."

"Your face said it," Tim accuses but there's a smile tugging at the corner of his lips that breaks into a soft laugh when Jason leans over and taps at the edge of his glasses' frame. 

"Lookin' good, Nerd Wonder." 

"Asshole," Tim says, but there is no vitriol, only something fond and familiar to it. It reminds him of the way Babs used to talk to him and Dick's heart clenches a bit. 

Dick clears his throat. "We should get going." 

"Right," Tim says, stepping away from Jason to sling his briefcase over his shoulder and grab a manila folder from the kitchen table. "Once more unto the breach, Grayson." 

"If I fall asleep during the meeting, please don't wake me. I can take the fall, I don't care if they publish photos of me drooling onto the boardroom table."

Tim snorts. "No way. If I have to suffer all the way through it, you're going to be right there with me." 

"Have fun at work, dear," Jason calls out in a sickly sweet voice. 

Tim flips him off without turning around, shaking his head even as he's laughing, and then they're out the door, and Dick is struck, a little by how much he's heard Tim laugh in the past twenty minutes. 

"What?" Tim says, as they get into the elevator down to the limo waiting for them. "You're looking at me weirdly." 

"Nothing -- it's just, nothing." 

"Dick, is everything okay?" Tim asks, putting a hand on Dick's arm and he doesn't know how he ever thought Tim had grown into something cold when there's that same old Robin concern staring up at him. 

Dick shakes his head. 

"Fine. Actually, everything is really fine."

**Author's Note:**

> [Jason's shirt](http://styleguy.tumblr.com/post/60724742179), in case you were wondering.


End file.
